The Talented Mr. Ripley is one of my favourite movies. The adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s first Ripley novel is a twisty tale of deception and murder, which features a fantastic ensemble cast, including Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Jude Law. Every element really came together perfectly, but Jude Law almost didn’t take part as he initially turned down the project.
While speaking with Vanity Fair, Jude Law revealed his fears of being typecast and the terrible advice he received from his agent at the time, which caused him to turn down The Talented Mr. Ripley.
“It’s not something I’ve necessarily ever shed light on before, but it’s certainly something that I’ve become aware of the older I’ve gotten. The reason I had that reaction [to Ripley] had a great deal to do with one of the agents I was with at the time,” Law said. “He was a guy who had said to me, ‘It shouldn’t be this easy. Resist this kind of a role because it’s going to box you in.’ I realize now how precious and impressionable you are in your early 20s. I’ve got three children who are all in their 20s, and they’ll hate me saying this—most 20 year olds will hate me saying this—but you’re still a kid when you’re in your 20s. You should be allowed to be a kid. The world sees you as an adult, and it should test you as an adult, but ultimately you’re a child.“
Law continued: “I was being told by this guy, ‘Don’t take this,’ and I believed him. I listened. I was ridiculous enough to turn around to Anthony Minghella and go, ‘I don’t know if I want to play that part. I don’t want to be boxed in.’ Obviously I was wrong.“
The actor felt his agent was “feeding a kind of insecurity” but that “he didn’t see was the big picture, which was: This is a great filmmaker, this is a great part in a wonderful company. Can you imagine, if I took that single film away from my experience? My life would be very different. He couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m so glad that it proved him wrong, because there’s also a great tale there about Hollywood, which is: Catch the ball and run.” It’s hard to imagine The Talented Mr. Ripley without Jude Law, so I think we can all be thankful he elected to take the role after all.
Law has also praised the new Ripley series on Netflix, which stars Andrew Scott as the title character. You can check out a review from our own Alex Maidy right here.